Google wants future video calls to feel like real life with Project Starline

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

COVID-19 and the shift to working from home have shown everyone that our current tools, while manageable, still leave much to be desired. Human interaction is important and low-quality webcam calls aren’t always going to cut it. Enter Project Starline.

Shown off at Google I/O this year, Project Starline wants your next video call to feel like you are literally sitting in the room with the other person. Still in early testing phases, the system uses an entire booth filled with cameras, lights, and sensors to accurately portrait the person.

Google describes it as “looking through a sort of magic window,” and if you watch the video below, you can definitely see where the company is coming from with that description.

Essentially, the system uses a large light field display combined with the sensors to make people look 3D, allowing the other user to feel like the person is there in the flesh, and Google even notes that the tech allows for people to make real eye contact with each other which definitely adds to the overall feel.

It’s a bulky system right now, however, so things would need to change if this tech ever wants to find itself in the homes of actual users. Currently, Google is testing the hardware in a select number of offices and wants to expand testing in the future.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Google has a staggering 3 billion active Android devices across the globe
• You’ll be able to get the new iMac, iPad Pro, and Apple TV 4K in stores starting May 21
• Google’s next big privacy update will require apps to become more transparent
• The HoloLens 2 will soon let you interact with thin air